Preceding work suggests (but does not prove) that one of the major effects of ethanol in the liver is a decrease in the concentrations of oxoloacetate. With the help of new methods employing the use of isolated hepatocytes and rapid centrifugation of the incubated cells attempts will be made to measure directly the very low oxaloacetate content of the cells in the presence of ethanol and to provide proof for the postulated change. The effect of ethanol on transport of low molecular weight substances into and out of hepatocytes will be studied in suspensions of isolated hepatocytes. The new techniques now available have opened up fresh approaches to the problems of how the internal environment of the cell is maintained and affected by toxic agents. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES: Stubbs, M. & Krebs, H.A. (1975) The accumulation of aspartate in the presence of ethanol in rat liver. Biochem. J. 150, 41-45.